Revision as of 01:11, 27 December 2024

The Battle of Asteri was a major military engagement between the forces of the Ilios Alliance and the combined armada of Vask Authority and Vega. The battle was fought over control of the Vask Authority battlecruiser "ARMAGEDDON" (which had been released several hours prior in a Vask Authority-owned siege station), for which the IA was attempting to guard the location until the siege station's window opened. The battle involved a large mercenary fleet from Vega, and was the only major military engagement in 2024 to involve Vegan forces.

The Battle of Asteri is widely renowned, including by the losing parties of the battle, as one of the most interesting, high-stakes, and enjoyable battles on the server. It was the largest ever battle on Horizon's End, with 9 Ilios Alliance ships fighting 11 Vega/Vask Authority ships, totaling approximately 95,000 blocks.

Context

Battle of Asteri
	Part of Ilios Alliance-Vask Authority War
	; A dynmap image showing the very beginning of the Battle of Asteri. No ships had yet been sunk.
Date	June 26, 2024
Location	AsteriCargoDepot, Asteri
Result	Decisive Vega/Vask Authority victory.; Recovery of the Vask Authority battlecruiser "ARMAGEDDON".
Participants
Ilios Alliance Orovika; Radiance; Cortesia Del Mar; Imperial Nova; Arimfea; Republic of Carthage	Vask Authority; Vega
Strength
10k Destroyer (_Longy) ; 8k Frigate (NovaManGood2110) ; 4k Corvette (VoidsentRose) ; 4k Corvette (yodabird19) ; 4k Corvette (WatchmanPhileo) ; 4k Corvette (CaptainFireBall) ; 2k Gunship (TonyTheMage_) ; 2k Gunship (_s1ice) ; 500 Gunship (Thrawn31) ;	20k Battlecruiser (Vandrayk) ; 16k Cruiser (FellOffBridge) ; 4.9k Frigate (DearGhost) ; 4.9k Frigate (_Clone1137) ; 4k Corvette (GigaJeff) ; 4k Corvette (Melkron) ; 500 Gunship (Solesey) ; 500 Gunship (Sherbet_S) ; 350 Starfighter (TopTrash) ; 350 Starfighter (z4nityy) ; 350 Starfighter (WitherV) ;

As of 26 June 2024, the Ilios Alliance and Vask Authority had formally been at war for 15 days. In this time, the fleet doctrines of the two sides had clearly emerged: while the Ilios Alliance relied on rapid, evasive strike teams to respond to incidents of piracy, which centered on small ships like starfighters and gunships, Vask Authority sought to compensate for their numerical inferiority by leaning heavily on the use of supercapital warships, especially battlecruisers, which were disproportionately powerful for a single pilot. Most large engagements between Ilios Alliance and Vask Authority forces would end when a Vask Authority pilot (most often FellOffBridge) would arrive with a battlecruiser (hitherto always the battlecruiser "ARMAGEDDON"), and Ilios Alliance forces would depart rather than engage it in direct combat; despite several attempts, the Ilios Alliance had yet to succeed in sinking any Vask Authority supercapitals.

Furthermore, at this time, the extent of Vegan material support to Vask Authority was not understood by the Ilios Alliance, leading to the perception among Ilios Alliance combatants (reinforced by the fact that ARMAGEDDON was the only battlecruiser Vask Authority had ever used openly up to this point) that the disabling or capture of ARMAGEDDON would decisively cripple Vask Authority's ability to make war.

Summary of Events

All times below are in UTC-4 (United States Eastern Daylight Time).

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 The Battle of Asteri is widely renowned, including by the losing parties of the battle, as one of the most interesting, high-stakes, and enjoyable battles on the server. It was the largest ever battle on [[Horizon's End]], with 9 Ilios Alliance ships fighting 11 Vega/Vask Authority ships, totaling approximately 95,000 blocks.
+= Context =
+As of 26 June 2024, the Ilios Alliance and Vask Authority had formally been at war for 15 days. In this time, the fleet doctrines of the two sides had clearly emerged: while the Ilios Alliance relied on rapid, evasive strike teams to respond to incidents of piracy, which centered on small ships like [[starfighters]] and [[gunships]], Vask Authority sought to compensate for their numerical inferiority by leaning heavily on the use of [[supercapital]] warships, especially [[battlecruisers]], which were disproportionately powerful for a single pilot. Most large engagements between Ilios Alliance and Vask Authority forces would end when a Vask Authority pilot (most often [[FellOffBridge]]) would arrive with a battlecruiser (hitherto always the battlecruiser "ARMAGEDDON"), and Ilios Alliance forces would depart rather than engage it in direct combat; despite several attempts, the Ilios Alliance had yet to succeed in sinking any Vask Authority supercapitals.
+Furthermore, at this time, the extent of Vegan material support to Vask Authority was not understood by the Ilios Alliance, leading to the perception among Ilios Alliance combatants (reinforced by the fact that ARMAGEDDON was the only battlecruiser Vask Authority had ever used openly up to this point) that the disabling or capture of ARMAGEDDON would decisively cripple Vask Authority's ability to make war.
+= Summary of Events =
+''All times below are in UTC-4 (United States Eastern Daylight Time).''